This Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie is a delightful twist on a classic Thanksgiving dessert. The buttery salted caramel elevates the familiar pumpkin flavor into something truly special.
I love this season for many reasons: the cooler weather, the holidays, and the chance to create recipes to share with family and friends for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas. Designing treats that bring people together is a joy.
This recipe adds a nontraditional but irresistible layer to the usual pumpkin pie with salted caramel both in the filling and as a topping. The caramel complements the pumpkin without overpowering it—adding a subtle buttery note in every bite. When you drizzle extra caramel on top before serving, the flavor goes to a whole new level.
The Pie
This version builds on the familiar pumpkin pie base with a few enhancements for richer flavor and creaminess. Using light brown sugar brings deeper, caramel-like notes compared with white sugar. Heavy whipping cream gives the filling a luxuriously creamy texture in place of evaporated milk. Most importantly, salted caramel is folded into the filling and reserved for topping, so the pie has a background hint of caramel while the finishing drizzle delivers the full salted caramel experience.
The result is a comforting pumpkin pie with a buttery, slightly salty caramel edge—perfect for anyone who wants a little extra something on the holiday dessert table. Sprinkle a touch of flaky sea salt over the top when serving if your caramel sauce is not already salted.
*slightly adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9″ frozen deep dish pie crust or your favorite homemade deep dish crust
- 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce, prepared or homemade, plus more for topping the pie for prepared, recommended options include salted varieties
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set the prepared frozen deep-dish pie crust on top to catch any overflow and make handling easier.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, light brown sugar, spices, vanilla, salt, heavy whipping cream, and 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce until smooth and fully combined. Pour the filling into the pie crust to the top. If desired, use a pie crust shield or tent the edges with foil halfway through baking to prevent over-browning.
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Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350°F and bake another 40–45 minutes, or until the center is set and only slightly jiggly. The filling should not be sloshing. A knife inserted in the center should come out mostly clean. Cool the pie completely. Just before serving, drizzle the remaining caramel sauce over the pie and sprinkle with flaky sea salt if your caramel is not already salted.
Notes
This pie is rich, comforting, and beautifully balanced by the caramel—it’s an excellent choice for holiday dessert tables.
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley